Shiso is a Japanese herb in the mint family, along with basil -- and like the rest of its family, shiso is a fresh vibrant shade of green. It sports fancy ruffled edges (1), and has a pleasantly assertive bite -- think similar to mint with a gingery edge, though its flavor is also described as herbal or citrusy. There are red forms of shiso too, but those generally are not consumed raw; they're mainly used to give color to umeboshi (a pickled Japanese fruit).

Look for shiso at farmers markets or Japanese grocery stores, and keep in mind that shiso goes by a variety of other names -- perilla, beefsteak, and Japanese basil. Like most fresh herbs, shiso has a short shelf life. Use yours quickly, or preserve them by salting or freezing.

Shiso leaves are often eaten with sashimi -- and when it's battered and deep-fried, shiso makes a great addition to a platter of tempura vegetables. Think about where you'd use basil or mint, and follow suit with shiso: add it to salads, salad dressings, roasted vegetables, pesto, or pasta. Pair it with tofu (which isn’t scary, we promise) or rice dishes. Or, go sweeter -- it works well with fruits like asian pear, pineapple, avocado, and grapefruit. Thirsty? Try shiso in lemonade, fruit-filledcocktails, and even Pepsi (okay, maybe not Pepsi). And that's just the beginning, really. We've got you covered for the week:

Comments (20)

there's a Korean variety and its seeds- Perilla seeds are what I think they're called in English- are used in Korean cooking, and its oil has a warm nuttiness while in its ground form, it's added to noodles and broth to give a wonderful milkiness.

The red shiso is used to make the red salted pickled plums. The shiso shown here "ao" or blue (?) shiso is used as an herb and frequently a garnish like parsley. Japanese food doens't taste quite right without it. I grow it every year...it's a little finicky here in SoCal. I'm guessing it like hot humid weather best. I have made the pickles from this site many times...and am just waiting for my current crop of shiso to get a litle bigger to make them again...hopefully while the cucumbers are still producing.

Shiso ice cream was most tasty - I made some earlier in the summer. I used a recipe for mint ice cream, subbing the shiso and lime instead of lemon. Mmmm. I also made shiso sugar for use in future cookie recipes

I just knew I'd see gingerroot's recipes in that list! I love love shiso and have yet to find any success planting it. Though we make the schlepp to H Mart for a host of other ingredients anyway so until I can grow it, I'll schlepp for it!

FYI - I learned this by accident and am super happy about it - shiso roots readily in a water glass on the window sill, you can then plant it and not have to drive to the other end of town to get it ever again!

Abbie, that's good to know. I had a plant a few years ago, in a pot on the deck beneath my kitchen window, but could not get it to thrive . . . was never sure exactly what the problem was, but I'm inspired to try again. Thanks so much! ;o)

I've heard that it grows like a weed (spontaneously, profusely) in Virginia; our cold evenings and nights, even in the summer, may be the problem here. My regular basil struggles a bit for that reason. Fingers crossed. ;o)

By the way, our local shiso has cinnamon notes, more so than mint or ginger . . . and the teeth around the edges are not quite as sharp as what you've photographed. Thinking about using it to flavor Korean plum vinegar (not as refined as the Japanese kind, at least the one I've been buying), for making quick pickles, light cucumber salads, tossing with napa cabbage for an entirely new slaw, etc. Stay tuned . . . .;o)

I'm amazed by the variety of flavor notes different people pick up on with shiso. In addition to cinnamon (and the others listed), I've also seen people mention anise and cumin. And I'm definitely staying tuned -- sounds great!

Korean perilla leaves are different from Japanese perilla leaves, so I would guess the seeds taste different too, so I'm afraid I'm not much help. In Japan, the seeds (shisonomi) are often used in pickles. Perhaps a question for the Hotline!